1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of lubricating devices and, more particularly, to a handle which can be slidably attached to a grease gun hose and also to a grease gun having a handle slidable along the grease gun hose.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many pieces of machinery include bearings which must be lubricated on a predetermined schedule. This lubrication generally involves greasing the bearings by manually injecting grease or a similar lubricant from a lubricating device, e.g., a grease gun, through a grease fitting on the machine and into the bearing assembly. Conventional grease guns usually include a flexible hose with a coupler at one end. To lubricate the bearings, the coupler is manually attached to the grease fitting and the grease gun operated to push grease through the hose and into the bearing assembly.
While generally acceptable for lubricating bearings, there are limitations associated with such conventional grease guns. For example, after prolonged use, the grease gun hose tends to become greasy or oily to the touch. Therefore, anyone gripping or handling the hose to place the hose onto the fitting will get his hands or clothes greasy. Additionally, to engage the hose coupler with the grease fitting, it is not unusual for the coupler to have to be pressed rather forcefully against the fitting for the two pieces to engage. If the hose is slippery with grease, this can be rather difficult. Further, it is quite common for workers to grasp the hose near the middle and try to force the hose coupler onto the grease fitting. This causes the end portion of the hose near the coupler to flex and bend, leading to cracks and ruptures due to material fatigue and requiring frequent replacement of the hose.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a grease gun in which contact with a greasy or dirty hose can be avoided and also in which the grease gun hose coupler can be forced against the grease fitting without the bending and flexing problems associated with grease guns of the prior art.